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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dylan Bundy throws to the plate during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dylan Bundy (37) of the Angels pitches against the Rangers in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ David Fletcher slides into second base as the Rangers’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa throws the ball to first to complete a double play in Monday’s game at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dylan Bundy throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jared Walsh watches a ball hit by Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia go out for a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia, right, celebrates as he scores after hitting a solo home run as Los Angeles Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki watches during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa (9) Adolis García (53) of the Rangers celebrate after García hit a home run in the 3rd inning in a game against the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dylan Bundy can’t get to a ball hit by Texas Rangers’ Jose Trevino as Trevino grounds out during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, right, runs to first as he flies out to center while Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara stands on the mound during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani drops his bat as he flies out to center during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia makes a catch at the wall on a ball hit by Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia hits the wall as he makes a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Steve Cishek (40) of the Angels was brought in to relieve Dylan Bundy (37) in the 6th inning during against the Rangers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia, center, scores on a single by Brock Holt as Los Angeles Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki, right, waits for the ball and home plate umpire Chris Conroy watches during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Angels shortstop Jose Iglesias attempts to throw out Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia at first during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Garcia was safe at first on a fielding error by third baseman Luis Rengifo. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Pitcher Alex Claudio (58) of the Angels was brought in to relieve Steve Cishek (40) in the 6th inning during against the Rangers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, right, loses his helmet as swings on a dropped strike three during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani strikes out swinging as Rangers catcher Jose Trevino prepares to throw to first base for the third out in Monday’s game at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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José Iglesias (4) of the Angels crosses the plate for a score after Rangers’ pitcher Kyle Cody (54) threw a wild pitch in the bottom of the 7th inning in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Kurt Suzuki (24) of the Angels singles on a line drive to right field scoring Albert Pujols (5) in the bottom of the 7th inning in a game against the Rangers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Albert Pujols (5) of the Angels scores after Kurt Suzuki (24) singles on a line drive to right field in the bottom of the 7th inning in a game against the Rangers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Adolis García (53) of the Rangers dives back to second base as David Fletcher (22) of the Angels waits for the ball in the attempted pick off in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, April 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat on a foul ball during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Texas Rangers relief pitcher Ian Kennedy throws to the plate during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Texas Rangers relief pitcher Ian Kennedy throws to the plate during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, right, talks with Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe after being thrown out at first during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 19, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: Fans sit in the stands prior to a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 19, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM — The fortunes of Dylan Bundy and the Angels changed dramatically in a hurry on Monday night.
Then they almost changed again just as quickly.
The Angels’ 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers was a pitchers’ duel until the sixth inning, when Bundy did not record an out and was charged with four runs in a five-run inning.
But an inning later, the Angels erased most of a six-run deficit, scoring four runs. Justin Upton started the scoring with a home run and then the next four Angels had hits. The rally even included a rare stolen base for 41-year-old Albert Pujols, who took third when the Rangers didn’t pay any attention to him leading off second.
The Angels couldn’t get any closer, though. Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Upton went down in order in the eighth. They put two on in the ninth before coming up short.
“A lot of guys put up some really tough at-bats,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “Some did not end up being a hit but they were great at-bats. We’ve been doing it all year. When your team fights till the last out there’s not a whole lot to lament.”
Unfortunately for the Angels, they got started too late.
Part of the issue might have been that they had not played since Friday, having their games on Saturday and Sunday postponed because of the Minnesota Twins’ COVID-19 issues.
“We didn’t need those days,” Maddon said. “It took us a little while to get the engine started up.”
It didn’t help that they were also getting their first look at Japanese right-hander Kohei Arihara, who used seven different pitches to shut them out for 5-2/3 innings. A former teammate of Ohtani in Japan, Arihara now has a 2.21 ERA through four big-league games.
“He changes speeds well,” Maddon said. “He definitely knows what he’s doing out there. He’s a craftsman. He has a variety of different pitches. … He definitely had the advantage tonight.”
Bundy had kept with Arihara, although not as smoothly.
Bundy had pitched around a leadoff double in the second and he stranded two runners in the fifth, escaping the latter jam by striking out No. 2 hitter David Dahl to hold the deficit at 1-0.
When he returned to the mound for the sixth, though, it all fell apart.
Bundy walked Joey Gallo and gave up singles to Nate Lowe, Nick Solak and Willie Calhoun, ending his night.
“The uncharacteristic walk to Gallo is what really sent up the warning signs,” Maddon said.
Bundy, however, said he felt his stuff was good, and the pitches to Solak and Calhoun were where he wanted them.
The two runners he left on base both came around to score while Steve Cishek was on the mound. Cishek gave up one of his own, too, putting the Angels in a 6-0 hole.
The inning also included errors by Jared Walsh and Luis Rengifo, who made a second error an inning later.
That was much too deep of a hole the way the Angels were faring in their first look at Arihara.
Certainly, all of Japan was closely watching the matchup between Arihara and Ohtani, who were teammates with the Nippon Ham Fighters for Ohtani’s last three seasons in Japan.
The two posed for pictures together before the game, but once the game began Arihara got the better of Ohtani, with some help.
In the first inning, following a leadoff single by David Fletcher, Ohtani grounded into a double play.
The next time Ohtani came to the plate, he drilled a fly ball to straightaway center field and then flipped his bat. The ball didn’t carry as well as Ohtani had hoped and center fielder Adolis Garcia made a leaping grab at the fence.
“Honestly I felt like it was going to be gone off the bat,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “It was actually one of the better swings I put on the ball this season. I feel like the wind brought it back. I was happy with the approach. I just didn’t get the results.”
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